Method of opening and closing farm-gates



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

B. M. DOOR, OF KEVANEE, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF OPENING AND CLOSING FARM-GATES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 242,619, dated July 5, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, B. M. Dour., of Kewanee, in the county of I'Ienry1and State ot Illinois, have invented a new and useful Imlirovement inFarm-Gates; and I do here by declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description ot the same, reference being had to theaccompanying` drawings, making a part ot this specification, in whichiFigure l represents a front elevation ot' my invention, partly insection. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view ot' ditto.

Similar letters of reference in both figures indicate correspondingparts.

This invention relates to an improvement in the mechanism by whichapproaching vehicles open and close gates, and the invention consists inarranging under the gate a pinion which engages with two racks onopposite sides, said racks to be connected, by means ot suitable leversand rods, with the two panels of a sliding gate, so that by giving thepinion an oscillating motion, the two panels slide to or from each otherin opposite directions, and that by connecting said pinion, in theproper places, with crank levers the gate is opened or closed as thewheels of a vehicle pass over them.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention I willproceed to de` scribe its construction and operation.

The two panels, A A', of the gate slide on a rod, a, which is attachedto the upper side of the beam, B. This beam is putinto the ground so asto be flush with it and attached to it a short distance from its center,and at right angles with the same is another beam C. The lower edges otthe panels, A Af, are guided by means ot loops, b, which embrace therod, o., and the upper edge is guided in grooved lugs, c, which aresecured to standards. D D, attached to the upper side of the beam, Il.Both panels ot the gate are operated by levers, (Z (Z, which aretulcrated on the inner side of the standards, D D, and the longer end ofwhich connects with the Jiront stiles, e e', ot the two panels by meansof rods, f f. The short ends of these levers, which extend down into acavity, g g', cut into the uper side of the beam, B, connect withtoothed racks, 71. 7M, which slide in suitable guides in the cavities, gg', and these racks engage with a pinion, z', from which two arms, 7'j", extend on opposite sides, which connect, by means of rods, c c, withthe crank levers, E E. These levers are attached to the upper side ofthe rectangular beam, C, turning easy in the staples, Z, and at such adistance from the gate that the wheels of avehicle pass over the samebefore the draught animals have reached the gate. lVeights, m, aresecured to the crank levers in such a manner that the same, when left tothemselves, assume a vertical position, and the ends of the rods, Z: 7c,are slotted so that the same do not interfere with the free action ofthe crank levers, and that the latter, after the gate has been opened orclosed, are always free to place themselves in a vertical position.

The operation is as tollowsz-lllhen a vehicle drives up to the gate inthe direction indicated by arrow l, and as soon as one of the wheelsstrikes the crank lever, E', it turns down in the same direction, and bythe action of the rod, c, the pinion, z', is turned in the direction ofarrow :2, causing the racks, I1 zf, to move in the direction of arrows 33. By the action of the racks on the short ends of the levers, CZ d',the long ends, together with the panels, A A', apre moved in thedirection of arrows, 1l 4, and the gate is opened. The slots in therods, is, are so long that they allow the crank levers to assume theiroriginal vertical position, atte-r the gate is opened and as one of thewheels of the 'vehicle comes in contact with the crank lever, E, thegate is closed, the several parts being moved in the opposite directionto the arrows placed on them and the crank levers again assume theirupright posit-ion, so that they are always in the proper position t'orthe wheels of an approaching vehicle.

By placing the gate on rollers its motion may be made easier, and itwill be noticed that by the proportion existing between the short andtlie long end of the levers, (Z (l, a slight motion of the racks, andofthe pinion is suiiicient to open or to close the gate.

'Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The arrangement of the pinion, z', the toothed racks, z L, and thelevers, l d', to operate in combination with the slotted rods, 7c c, andthe crank levers, E E', for the purpose of opening and closing the gate,A A', substantially as herein described.

B. M. DOR-R.

lVitnesses:

ERAs'rUs AUSTIN, JOSEPH V. MONTGOMERY.

